Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-03-16

- 6Shs vi oPPtouoU i
from the audience followed which was |
acknowledged by an II thank you"
BILL NYE's RAILWAY PASS.
Lines on Returning the blasted Docu-
mont to the Genial Oliver.
Hudson. Wis. March 30. 1SS7-W. f.
White, Esq, General Passenger Agent
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Rail
road, Topeka. Dear Sir: j enclose
herewith annual pass No. Q035 for self
and family owe yoar justly celebrated
road during the year 1887. also return
your photograph and the letters you
have written me during the past i've
years. Will you kindly return mine?
And so this brief and beautiful experien
ce is to end and each must go his own
way hereafter.
Alas!
To you this may be easy, but it brings
q pang to my heart which your gentle
letter Of the 1st inst. can not wholly
alleviate.
Whenever hereafter you look upon
this tear.speokied pass will you not
think Of me2 Remember that you have
cast mt from sou and that / am wander
ing across the bleak and wind-swept
plains, sadly enumerating the ties on my
way to eternity.
l do not say this to reproach you, for
I fear that you care for another, and 60
we could not be happy again together
Bat, oh! do you pause to fully compre-
bend the pang it costs me to return this
pleasant faced little pass with its condi-
ton on the bach? Gould you see mo
even now, as / write these lines, turning
away ever and anon, laying aside my
trembling pen to &c and sit by the CRATE
and shudder and weep, and put out the
fire with my bitter tears, your heart
would soften, and you would say:
"Return, oh wanderer. return"
You do not say in your letter that l
have been false to you, or thst l have
ever grown cold. You do not charge me
with infidelity, OF failure to provide.
You simply say that it would be better
for each to go his several ways, forget
ting that my several ways are passing
away, passing away.
It is sll very we'll fc7 you to talk
about going your several ways. Iou
have every facility Tor doing SO, but
with me il is different. Several years
ago q large northwestern cyclone and
myself tried to pass each other on the
II caulc tthDhs ucu ba6 WtCChtu8 CkoW
found me I was in the crotch of q
bntternut tree with q broken leg. Since
that timo / have walked with great
difficulty, aud to go my several ways
has become q very serious matter with
me.
Rnt I do not want you to think that
am murnauring. / except my doom.
i calmly, yet with slight tingA OF nm
availing regret.
Some time perhaps, in the middle oil
the dark and angry night, when the cold
blasts walls through the telegraph wires
and the crashing sleet PUSHES with wild
and impetuons fury against the windows
OF your special car, as you lie warmly
ensconoed in your voluptnous berth aud
hear the pitiless winds with hoarse and
aroupy means chase each other around
the Kansas haystaoks or shrek wildly
away as they light out for their cherries
home in the Bad Lands, will you not
think OF me as / grope on blindly
through the keen and pitiless blasts,
stumbling over cattleguards, falling iu-
to culyerts, and beating out my rare
young brains against your rough right
OF way, will you not think OF me? / do
not ask much OF you, but do ask this
as We separate forever.
As you whiZ by me do not treat me
with continuity, or throw crackers at me
when l have meekly tnrDed out to lei
your naughty old train go by. / have
always spoken OF you u the highest
terms and ] hope you will do the same
by me.
Life is short at the best aud it is especl.
ally so for those whu have to walk,
Walking has already shortened my life
q great deal, and I wouldn't be surprised
IL the exposure and bunions of the year
1887 carried me off, leaving q gap in
American literature that will look like a
new cellar.
Should any OF your engineers or track.
men and ma frozsn in 9 cut next winter
when the grass gets short and the night.
get long, will you kindly ask them to
report the brand to yonr auditor and
instruct him to allow my family what hs
thinks would be right? / hate to write
to you in this detected manner, but you
can under stand how heavy may heart is
to-day as | pen these lines.
/ wish you and your beautiful road I'M
mitigated snacsss. II is a good road, for I
have passed over 1t and enjoyed it, How
different the country will look to me
as | go bounding from tic to tie, slowly
repeating to myself the trite remark
once made by the governor OF north
Carolina to the executive OF south
Oarol,Aa!
! hope you may neve know what it is
to pull into the quaint little oitY OF LA
Junta with the dust OF many q mile
upon you and the thirst OF q long. I'M
eventfnl journey in your throat. / hope
thst congress will not pafs a law next
year which will make il o felony for q
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